The Fellowship Blog

Fellowship Group Questions

Fri, 18 May 2012 22:53:58 -0700

Fellowship Group questions for the week of 20 May 12

1. If God told you that He would give you anything you wanted, what would you ask for?

2. In one sentence or less, tell what is your purpose in life?

3. What is the one passion of your life, and are you able to express that passion in a way that satisfies you?

Scripture for further thought: 2 Kings 13 14-19

1. Do you find it odd that Elisha was dying and yet still sought for his ministry?

2. If you were the King how many times would you have struck the ground with the arrows? Would you have struck the ground?

3. How can you apply this scripture to your life?

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FG Questions

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:51:22 -0700

Fellowship Questions for week of 6 May 12

1. Do you consider yourself to be a champion? Why or why not?

2. What area are you a champion?

3. What place does prayer play in your life:

· Luke Warm

· Warm

· Hot

· Passionate

· Are you satisfied with your prayer life?

Scripture for further discussion: Luke 11:5-8

1. Do we have to overcome God’s reluctance in prayer?

2. How important is persistence in the life of a Christian?

3. Is there a difference between persistence and faith?

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Fellowship Group Questions - 4/29/2012

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:52:00 -0700

Fellowship Group Questions - 4/29/2012

1. Which  do  you  feel  the  most  often:  godly  regret  or  worldly  regret?   Explain.

2. How  do  you  apply  this  weekend’s  message  to  your  life?

3. How  can  we  help  each  other?   Hold  each  other  accountable?

Additional scripture and questions:

Read  Luke  3:1‐8

1.   What  are  the  promises  being  made  in  verses  4‐6?

2.   What  does  it  mean  to  “bear  fruit”?

3.   How  does  “keeping  with  repentance”  help  us  bear  fruit?

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Feeling Overwhelmed?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:15:19 -0700

Are you feeling overwhelmed?

Often times we feel that we are slaves to the elements, circumstances, and consequences of bad decisions.
Well, here is your answer:

I sought the Lord and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. Ps. 34:4

What a Savior, what a Lord, He carries all your burdens? Will you let Him?

Blessings, Pastor Chuck

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Fellowship Group Questions - 4/22/12

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:41:00 -0700

Fellowship group questions. 4/22/2012

1. Do you think you have reached your full potential in God’s purpose for your life? Why or why not?

2. If you could have a “do over” in your life what would it be?

3. What has God done in the “Boot Camp” of your life to prepare you for His purpose. How did you respond to His testing?

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Fellowship Group Questions - 4/8/12

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:36:00 -0700

1. When you think of rebellion what comes to mind? a. Is there a time in your relationship with the Lord that you rebelled against Him?

2. Is repentance a private matter or a spiritual discipline that you need brothers and sisters to help you through your time of discipline?

3. What is the best scriptural example of repentance in the Bible?

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Fellowship Group Questions - 4-1-12

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:49:00 -0700

- How have you seen relativism (The belief that there is no one truth, but everyone's individual truth is equally valid) effecting the world?

Do you feel as if it has affected your personal worldview and how you think in any way?

- If you are shaped by, molded by and walk in whatever you hold to be ultimate.

Do you feel like there are area of your life where God isn't ultimate? Why?

- What do think stirs your affections for Jesus Christ? What robs you of those affections?

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Fellowship Group Questions - 3-25-12

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 09:26:00 -0700

Fellowship Groups Questions

Both Ruth and Naomi suffered tremendous loss. Why does a good and gracious God allow tragedy to come upon those who love him?
When difficult times come, what causes you to continue to hope in God?
How is your life a refuge for other people? How would you like to be a refuge for other people?

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Apology for Spam

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:30:33 -0800

Greetings,
Today, someone gained access to an Elder's e-mail account and used it to mass-mail a spam link to the Upper Room's blog subscribers about a home based work program. We have since taken all of the necessary precautions and we hope that it will not happen again. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience it has caused.

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What REALLY is going on here!?!

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:18:00 -0800

Having only a diet of "going to church" on Sunday mornings, it is impossible to fully live out the abundant life Jesus came to give us. Life in Christ is all about learning to be loved and to love. It doesn't happen well in a larger meeting. However, small groups of people intentionally gathering for that purpose are an excellent incubator. That's why we of the Upper Room are engaging in Fellowship Groups.

The purpose of these groups is to develop life-giving relationships that are highly encouraging, supportive, and valued. I may be getting the cart before the horse but here are 3 things we want you to know up front:

Join a group based on who is in it. -- You're more likely to develop valuable relationships if you're with people you want to get to know.
If it seems like the group is a bad fit, bail out within the first 3 weeks with no apprehension or guilt. -- We want you to develop great relationships so a bad experience would only hinder you from trying again.
If you go all ten weeks and still don't gel with the group, try a new one the next session. -- You are not locked in. Even if most everyone else wants to stay, you are free to try another group. And if it takes trying several groups to find the right fit, we want you to do so. This is important!

Now here are the details of the groups:

Fellowship Groups meet every week and last for 10 weeks.
There will be Spring, Fall, and Winter sessions with breaks in between. Summers will officially be off.
The Spring semester will begin the week of March 25th and end the last week in May.
Groups may choose to stay together for the next session or even meet through the Summer if they like.
Though groups may be developed around other studies, the "default" is discussion and further study around the most recent Sunday morning message.
Enroll in a group at the Welcome Center on Sunday morning. Note the time and day they meet to make sure that works for you.
Since the quality of the relationships breaks down when the groups are too large, groups will be considered full when there are 14 people signed up.
Starting March 25th, there will be no cafe or Sunday School hour. The Celebration service will be it on Sunday mornings and will start at 10 AM. Families will worship together and then separate equipping sessions for the kids will take place while the message is going on.

These Fellowship Groups can significantly contribute to you fulfilling your destiny as well as make life a whole lot more fun! That's why we're unabashedly asking everyone who calls the Upper Room their church family to be a part of a Fellowship Group. There's even groups for youth and for college age. (See Christy Calfee for those details.) The following adult groups still have openings:

Ron & Kathy Myers > Sunday 6:30 PM at the Myer's home in New Waterford

Zach & Molly Jones > Wednesday 6:30 PM at the Jones' home in Negley

Laurie Bertelsen > Wednesday 7 PM at the church building (This group will center around the theme of hearing God's voice.)

Greg & Marta Aker > Thursday 7 PM at the Aker's home in Columbiana

So try one out for 10 weeks. (Remember the three points this blog started with.) Sign up at the Welcome Center on Sunday if you haven't already.

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What's going on here!?!

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:46:12 -0800

There is a strategic shift taking place in the Fellowship!

Now, I wouldn't say this represents a completely new paradigm on the part of the leadership. Rather it is a strategy to achieve what we believe in. Let me give some background.

"...in the temple and from house to house..." Acts 2:46, 5:42, 20:20

The New Testament Church had this pattern of meeting together on both a larger scale and in small groups. Because of the different dynamics of each setting, there is important stuff that takes place in each. The Church of the 20th and now 21st centuries has had more of an emphasis on the "big" gathering, even referring to it as "the main meeting" and relegating the small gatherings as optional. In the New Testament, however, the small, relationally-geared meetings from house to house were a vital and regular part of their lives in Christ.

Most of how God instructs us to live--to be understood as, the fullness of life--cannot be learned or carried out in the big gatherings, significant and life-giving as they are. Consider these truths:

The priority of God's heart is love. (1 John 4:16)
The commandment to love fulfills every other command God gives us. (Romans 13:8-10)
Love is the distinguishing mark that we are His disciples. (John 13:34-35)
Love is learned in the context of relationships. (Romans 12:10)
There are over 30 different "one another" directives in the New Testament. (Such as Romans 12:10 above)
Most of the New Testament is instruction on how to care for one another. (Matthew-Revelation)

To this end, we are making a shift. We want to create environments that foster valuable, life-giving Christian relationships, which we're calling Fellowship Groups. We want this to be a priority--as much a priority as our Celebration service!--so much so that, when this all kicks off on March 25th, we are suspending virtually everything else other than our Sunday Celebration and Fellowship Groups. Our goal is that everyone who calls the Upper Room Fellowship their home would be connected with others on a weekly basis in a small relational context. Such is the value of these relationships. Love is the reward.

So stay tuned. Next week, I'll cover the practical details of how this is all going to work.

Now may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you, so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)

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New Sunday Classes

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:24:48 -0800

Between his first and second imprisonments in Rome, Paul wrote a letter of encouragement and instruction to Timothy, whom Paul had left as overseer of the church at Ephesus. During this time, Timothy faced some tough challenges.

This Sunday (Jan. 8th) there will be a new Sunday morning class starting. This class, led by Chris Holm, will be studying and exploring Paul's letter to Timothy, and how Paul urged Timothy to face these challenges head-on, with the goal of “love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.”

Also beginning this Sunday is the Foundations 3 class. This class, led by Greg Aker, focuses on our vision ofSharing Life by considering issues like: vision, importance, and purpose of community; personality profiles; understanding Spiritual Gifts; identity in community; small groups; serving in community; and more.

So grab your notebook and a pencil and come on out this Sunday. The classes will start at 9:30am.

The Fellowship/Cafe time starts at 9:15am if you want to grab a bagel and coffee before class.

See you then!

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Upper Room Sports Camp

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:32:29 -0700

The Upper Room Fellowship is doing an evening sports camp for kids going into grades 1st-6th on July 18th-22nd, 6:00pm-8:30pm. Each day they will be participating in different sports and games such as soccer, kickball, Frisbee, gold-rush, tug-of-war, etc. Kids of all athletic abilities are welcome! Our main goal is that the kids would have tons of fun. We will also be singing songs, hearing a message, and spending time with our teams talking about what it takes to be a good athlete and how that relates to persevering in our faith and loving God wholeheartedly. Come join us for all 5 days or just come out for 1 evening. This event is free to everyone and kids can bring friends or join at any time throughout the week. Register online or register when you come. We can't wait to see you there!

Click here to register online.

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New Sermon Series - Fishers of Men

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:54:44 -0700

Jesus said, "Follow Me and I will make you ______ ".

What would you fill that blank in with if you were given the chance? What would you have God make you? Smarter? Richer? More spiritual? Better looking? A better spouse? A better parent?

Jesus sets His agenda and His goal for the Disciples within the first few moments of calling them, and what He promises to transform them into might not be our first choice, but it is one of God's highest priorities for everyone who follows Him.

In a new sermon series which starts this Sunday, June 5th, we will be discussing what Jesus meant when he called his disciples along with all of his followers to be fishers of men. We will discus what that looks like in the present day, how the church can aid and encourage believers in being fishers of men and much more.

Join us this Sunday as we jump into our summer schedule with a sermon series based on God's call to be Fishers of Men.

- Chris

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New Sunday morning class - Fruit of the Spirit

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:58:36 -0700

At The Fellowship, we are being equipped to reign in life. Jesus came that we would have life in its fullness. Anything less and everyone misses out--you, your friends, the world.

A new Sunday morning class will be starting March 27th. I'll be teaching on the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22 & 23, but from a little different angle. We'll be discussing things like love and joy and peace. Most Christians see these as qualities we need to work on. The goal of this class is that everyone participating would be confident in living under the smile of God.

So come on out this Sunday at 9:30 AM. Grab a bagel and a coffee at the Cafe. The class will convene immediately after the Cafe worship in the Destiny Room.

--Bruce

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New Sermon Series - Spiritual Health Care

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:33:00 -0800

At The Fellowship, we exist to Know God, Share Life and Serve Others. In the interest of going deeper in our walk to know God, beginning this Sunday, February 27th, I am starting a three week sermon series entitled “Spiritual Health Care". In this series we will be looking at a few of the classical disciplines that Christian believers have used and benefited from for thousands of years.

As Richard Foster says,
“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people. … The classical disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm. They urge us to be the answer to a hollow world.”

The spiritual disciplines are not formulas or tricks that gain favor with God. Instead, they are practices that allow God to transform us from within through the Spirit. They help us to stop, listen and communicate with God.

So come ready to hear from God, and bring a friend!

-Chris

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2011 Elder's Retreat

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:39:51 -0800

This past weekend was our 2011 Elder's Retreat. We had a great time seeking the Lord, worshiping and eating large amounts of food. Our retreats always have a few enormous agenda items for The Fellowship's future that take up most of our time, but we also get to sneak in a little fun. Here are a few pictures from this weekend.
-Chris

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Service Sunday - Columbiana Funland

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 11:17:09 -0700

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Celebrate your destiny and your dreams!

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:09:00 -0700

Every person has a destiny, every person has dreams. We hear that a lot, but it is amazing how many people do not have personal understanding and vision for those two statements. To understand that you have a purpose and a calling that was birthed and began in Gods heart is a revelatory truth.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11

What does the Lord Jesus think about when He thinks about your life? How can I impart peace, and good to this child of mine? How can I make clear that they have a future and a hope? God’s great desire is to impart His love, acceptance and forgiveness to each and every person on the face of the earth. None are spared access to His love, none are worthy, but all are invited to come. He has made a way, Jesus gives you invitation, will you come? It all begins with Him and His love; it is worked out in the miracle of community and bears fruit that touches other lives with the love that changed your life. So come on what are you waiting for, come celebrate your destiny, embrace your dreams, and know that you were created for a purpose. Come on, you know you want to…

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What do you think?

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:35:03 -0700

In this country and around the world, there are places where revival is taking place. To hear the events of these places would put you in mind of the book of Acts. People are being healed. Folks are coming to know the Lord. Lives are being changed. Cities are experiencing transformation. What triggers all this? Does God arbitrarily show up in certain spots? Does it just “happen”? What do you think? Is it a matter of Divine whim? Does God simply pick certain spots or is there something more? God is so overflowing with mercy, I am sure that in His grace and joy, He just surprises people by showing up in amazing ways and pouring out His love. God is always anxious to show kindness. Yet in most places another dynamic seems to be at work. This dynamic amazes me. It is completely astounding! God is… responding. The Sovereign Lord of the universe is responding to ordinary people like you and me, made from the dust of the earth. He is listening for their cries. He is scanning the whole earth looking for those whose hearts are wholly His. He is responding to people who are longing for Him and crying for His Kingdom to invade their sphere. A.W. Tozer said it this way, “God waits to be wanted.” God wants us to take initiative toward Him. He is looking for it, even waiting for it. Indeed the Scriptures are full of these invitations:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Js 4:8).
“If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” (2 Chr 15:2).
“The eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chr 16:9).
“You will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and soul” (Deut 4:29).
“He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6).
“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14).

We hear about revivals after they hit the newspapers. What we don’t see is what took place first. Throughout history all the major revivals were preceded by people who sought God for them. There were people who yearned for the presence of God and earnestly prayed for His Kingdom to come as it is in Heaven. My question is Why not here? Why not now? Why don’t we become the people that God is waiting to respond to? Why don’t we become the people that God knows He can trust with an outpouring because we are longing for Him? Why don’t we set up the groundwork for a major Kingdom breakthrough here? We are. And we won’t stop until God breaks through. That’s why we have set aside an entire week for continual prayer and worship, July 18-25. That is why we are gathering people from churches all over this region to seek His face. That day and night, an unbroken cry would go up from this place, “God, we want you here!” And that is why you are invited—no, urged—to be a part. Revival is waiting. The world is wanting. God is watching.

The LORD longs to be gracious to you.

He waits on high to have compassion on you.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

How blessed are all those who long for Him! (Isa 30:18)

To be a part of hastening revival right here, join the escalating cry that is going up to heaven for His Kingdom to come. As you know, it is not our intent that gets rewarded, it is action. A practical way you can be actively involved in bringing real breakthrough to this area is to register and participate in the approaching 24/7 Regional Prayer (www.urfellowship.com). We long for His kingdom to be released here!

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